Chapter 1 of No and Other Stories Compiled by Uncle Humphrey is here in full — 472 sentences across 95 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of No and Other Stories Compiled by Uncle Humphrey is here in full — 472 sentences across 95 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William. Come along, or go back. Say yes or no.' "This was the decisive moment. I was to make up my mind, and fix my determination in one way or the other.
Chapter 1 of No and Other Stories Compiled by Uncle Humphrey is here in full — 472 sentences across 95 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 11/94 · 5 reading units · Lines 51–55
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
determining or having the power to determine an outcome
From this reading “"This was the decisive moment.”
the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation
From this reading “I was to make up my mind, and fix my determination in one way or the other.”
refuse to go along with; refuse to follow; be disobedient
From this reading “"Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.”
restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken
From this reading “I was to make up my mind, and fix my determination in one way or the other.”
to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (“full” in this sense is used as a combining form)
From this reading “"Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.”
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading “"Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.”
(often followed by “to”) having a preference, disposition, or tendency
From this reading “"Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.”
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading “"Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
in a lengthy or prolix manner
In this reading “"Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.”
In this reading “"Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.”
In this reading “"This was the decisive moment.”
belong to an earlier time
In this reading “Come along, or go back.”
come into being or existence, or appear on the scene
In this reading “Come along, or go back.”
In this reading “"Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.”
form or compose
In this reading “"Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading Come along, or go back.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I was to make up my mind, and fix my determination in one way or the other.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Come along, or go back.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Come along, or go back.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading "Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.
determining or having the power to determine an outcome
From this reading "This was the decisive moment.
the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation
From this reading I was to make up my mind, and fix my determination in one way or the other.
refuse to go along with; refuse to follow; be disobedient
From this reading "Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading "Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading "Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.
restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken
From this reading I was to make up my mind, and fix my determination in one way or the other.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.
to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (“full” in this sense is used as a combining form)
From this reading "Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading "Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I was to make up my mind, and fix my determination in one way or the other.
(often followed by “to”) having a preference, disposition, or tendency
From this reading "Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading "Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.
engage in
From this reading "Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading "Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.
a particular point in time
From this reading "This was the decisive moment.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading "Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.
not any; not one
From this reading Say yes or no.'
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading I was to make up my mind, and fix my determination in one way or the other.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Come along, or go back.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading I was to make up my mind, and fix my determination in one way or the other.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.
express in words
From this reading Say yes or no.'
not in physical motion
From this reading "Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "This was the decisive moment.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "This was the decisive moment.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading "Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "This was the decisive moment.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading I was to make up my mind, and fix my determination in one way or the other.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.
an affirmative
From this reading Say yes or no.'
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Much as I felt inclined to go, still I hesitated; for I could not fully make up my mind to disobey my father.--At length he said-- "'I can't wait here for you, William.
Chapter 1 of No and Other Stories Compiled by Uncle Humphrey by Various holds 472 sentences, grouped into 95 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 1 holds 472 sentences of No and Other Stories Compiled by Uncle Humphrey, unabridged, divided into 95 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of No and Other Stories Compiled by Uncle Humphrey by Various exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 472 sentences, grouped into 95 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 95 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 95 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
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Yes. All 472 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11129 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #11129, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 39 minutes of reading across 95 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through No and Other Stories Compiled by Uncle Humphrey section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in No and Other Stories Compiled by Uncle Humphrey, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
